Directional signal and circuits therefor



Get. 23, 1951 B. F. BAILEY 2,572,094

DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL AND CIRCUITS THEREFOR Original Fled.Ju1y 11, 1947 3l E L. E Q@jk.

l5. W Arron/VE?,

Patented Oct. 23, 19951 I DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL -AND CIRCUITS THEREFon Benjamin F. Bailey, Ann Arbor, Mich., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to` The Electric Auto- Lite Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio l Application July 11, 1947, Serial No. 760,393, now

f Y Patent No. 2,560,539, datedJuly 17, 1951, which is a division of application Serial No. 555,717, September 25, 1944, now Patent No. 2,456,242, dated December 14, 1948. v,Divided and this application October 4, 1949, 'Serial No. 119,444

4 claims. (C1. 177-337) This invention relates to improved circuits and circuit control means therefor for directional signals on motor vehicles in combination with warning signals, tail lamps, and stop lights and has for its object to provide a simplified flashing mechanism in a directional system in which a single asher is provided for lthe various positions of the control in combination with the operation of the tail lamps and stop signal devices, switches, and controls thereof. This application is a division of my prior application, Serial No.y

760,393, filed July 11, 1947, which issued into Patent No. 2,560,539 of July 17, 1951, which, in turn, is a division of the parent application, Serial No. 555,717, filed September 25, 1944, which issued into Patent No. 2,456,242 of December 14, 1948. The present application is a duplicate of said prior applications insofar as the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein as Figures IX and X and X and XI respectively. L

In a more specific embodiment of my invention I utilize the same filament usable in connection with one of the warning signal devices as the directional signal illuminating means as will thereby save expense and greatly reduce costs of installation, and in a still further embodiment of my invention I employ a double filament bulb usable for one of the warning signal devices and also as a directional signal indicator.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of various forms of the invention, one of which may be preferred, in which:

Figure I illustrates diagrammatically one embodimentv of my invention in which a double filament bulb is used as illuminating means for indicating direction and stop warning signals while Figure II illustrates another embodiment of my invention in which sep-arate illuminating `means for directional signals and stop signals are employed.

Referring to Figure I, the battery l is grounded at II as shown, it being understood that the battery I0 is charged by the generator connected thereto by a suitable relay on an automobile and therefore that I0 represents a source of electrical energy for the signaling systems. The steering wheel of the vehicle is indicatedat I5 and on this steering wheel or the suppor-tingfcol- 2 umn thereof is mounted the manually settable, automatically releasable directional signal switch indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. Thisswitch has a handle 2| rotatable around the steering column of the motor vehicle and handle" 2| carries extensions 22 and 23, each extension y supporting insulated switch contacting elements for establishing the circuits hereinafter set forth,

vIn Figure I, I have illustrated directional signal illuminating means in the form of incandescent bulbs R. L. and F. L. located on the rear and front left side portions of the vehicle and RoR. and F. R. located at the rear and front of the right side of the vehicle. The incandescent bulbs R. L. and R. R. are of the double filament type, the first having the separate energizable filaments 30 and 30 and the second having the filaments 32 and 32. The incandescent bulbs F. L. and F. R. are of the single filament type,

each having filament 3| and 33 respectively. A'

lead 35 connects the filament 30 with a terminal 36 of the switch mechanism. Likewise lead 4I! connects filament 32 with a contacting terminal 4|"and lead/42 connects filament 33 with contact 43. A lead 44 connects filament 3| with terminal 38 as shown. The filament 30 is connected by lead 'I'I to the switch contact 'I6 while the filament 32 is connected by lead 18' to switch contact 15. I

From the battery I Il, leads I2 and I3 connect the source of energy with an arc-shaped terminal 24 for connection with the proper illuminating means to indicate directional turn of the vehicle. Interposed between the leads I2 and I3 is an automatic flashing device indicated generally by the numera1 5B. This device includes the make and break contacts 5I and 52, 52 being connected with the wire I3 leading to the main control switch 20, while the other contact 5I' is connected through flexible connector 53 with coil 54, with lead I2 and"battery I0, the coil thereby being in series with the source of energy I0. The armature 55 of the device is weighted as indicated at 55 so*v as to lreduce the periodicity of the action of `the -make and break, the armature being so mounted as to move toward and away from the co'r'e" of the 'coil 54. The armature 55 carries the make and break contact 5I with it as indicated so that as the coil 54 is alternately energized and de-energized, a make and break in the` vided a ycondenser to not only prevent arcing,

2,572,094 'UNITED STATES PATENT oFFI'cE'f and hence deterioration of the points 5| and 52, but also 'as' a means in which energy" is stored and returnedto the system in the operation ofV bridging the arc-shaped terminal'Zil With either contacts 36 and 3B or 4l and 43 depending on the position of the switch 20. y

The brake pedal of the motor vehicle is indicated at 65 and has a pivotally connected rod 66 for controlling a switch 61 which connects the source of energy l with the stop signals of the y To this end the lead 68 is `conmotor vehicle. v nected to a terminal block 1U and the extension 23 of switch 29 has a cooperating insulated arcshaped switch plate 1l. In normal position for switch 2G, the switch blade 'H connects both rear filaments 30 and 32 with the source of energy I0 to form a non-dashing s top signal at both sides ofithe car inthe rear if switchl be closed vby an operation, of the brake pedal 65. When the switch 20 is moved to either one of its right hand orv left, hand settable positions, the sweeping con,- tact 'H will bridge the other rear stop signal filament (left hand) 313 or (right hand) Y32 as the4 case maybe. To this end, terminals T and 16 are.,

connected by leads 78 and 11,' respectively to the filaments 3U and-32 at thek rear of theA vehicle.

It is understood that the steering wheel I5 has a depending finger i8 adapted to contact the handle 2 I of the control switch and automatically returnv the same to neutral position, after it is moyedtothe right or to the left as the case may be.v This is done when the vehicle has completed the turn.

Finger l5 as a cut oi may be replacedr by an apparatus surrounding, the steering column which maintains-the energization of the directional signal as long as the steering wheel is not turned backward in a direction to straighten out the wheels, as upon the completion of a turn.

In theoperation of the system, when the switch 2U. is in normal position an operation of the brake pedal will cause a non-dashing signal to be indicated atb'oth rear filaments 30 and 322 To make i a left hand turn, the operator turns the handle` 2i of the switch 2D tothe left. In this case switch contact 25 connects terminal 24 with contacts 36 and 38, which in turn connect the` same with the filaments 3i!l and 3i on the left hand side of the vehicle. Arc-shaped contact 24 being connected through leads i2 and I3 to the battery, energy is supplied through the dashing device 50, and both filaments 3G and 3l will give a iiashing periodically interrupted signal to indicate that the driver f is' turning toward the left. When the high point ofi-the turn has been reached, the wheel I5'will befsoturned that the ringer I6 willl contact the` handle 2l returning it to normal position. The wheel is then straightened out. Thereafter, whenla turn is desired to be made tothe right,

the operator moves the handle 2| tothe right so that contact 25 now bridges contact 24 to connect the same with contacts 43 and 4I which, in turn,

energizes the filaments 32 and 33, the current likewisepassing through the flasher jand the;-

operation on the right hand side is repeated.

Inconnection with the flashing device criney Y terrupter relay 56, attention is called to the fact that I employ 'the condenser 60 across the breaker points 5I and 52 not only` to prevent arcing but as,l an element of the combination of the present ing;` v

vention in ,which` I also have in mindother types ofunterrupters whichl may well beemployed and highas 30 to 5 ,0 volts, and of course, is in a direction to try and keep the current iiowing, which might arc across the breaker points. By connecting the condenser 6B across the points, a new path for the current resulting from the relatively'high'induced voltage surges into the condenser and the energy of the magnetic iield is thus stored thereinl'and thereupon returned to the system instead of being Wasted in arcing at the breaker points.

In the embodiment of Figure II, instead of using thedouble 'lament bulb of Figure I, I use 'two separate bulbs 3!! and 30 on the left hand side and also two separate bulbs on the right rear of the vehicle, one (3G) for the ashing directional signal, and thev other (30'), for the stop signal. Moreoven I also combine the lamps,

laments,` andrcircuits as in Figure I, and, the

tail light filament either as a double lament bulb with the tail light lament combined with'.

one or the other of the directional or stop signalbulbs, or as a separate tail lamp bulb and in Y everycase with appropriateA bulb casings, heus-- ings, brackets and supports therefor.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the;

invention, 'modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending al1 variations thereof.

What IA claim is:

l. In a vehicle, two spaced iiashing directional i, signals locatedVV at the front and two at the rearA tacts to cause the intermittent energisation of theA direction signals; a brake pedal switch for said stop signal circuits; and additional switching means having. a neutral position for effecting the f energization of both said rear stop signals upon closure of said brake pedal switch, said additional switching means movable by said manually operable pivoted arm in a direction opposite to that impartedbyfsaid arm to the conductor plate to a right hand and left hand stop signal terminal for connecting the opposite rear stop signalwhen the directional signal on one side of the rear of said vehicle is energized.

2. In a vehicle, two spaced flashing directional signals located at the iront and two at the rear y of said vehicle; two spaced stop warning signals A for giving a steady indication located at the rear of said vehicle; circuit connectionsI from each of said signals to a source of power; a manually settable automaticallyreleasable directionall circuit switch comprising a pivoted arm carrying a conductor plate for engagement with stationary contacts when moved to the right or left from its central position by` manual operation ofthe -pigotedarm; a single` electromagnetic periodic@ circuit interrupter in said directional signal circuits for both said rear directional signals to give a flashing indicating signal; a brake pedal switch for said stop signal circuits; a second switch operable by said manually settable means for preventing energization of the opposite rear stop signal when the directional signal on one side of the rear of said vehicle is energized.

3. In a vehicle, two spaced flashing directional signals located at the front and two at the rear of said vehicle; a source of` electrical power;

a manually settable automatically releasable directional circuit switch comprising a pivoted arm, manual means to rotate said arm about said pivot; a conductor plate carried by said pivoted arm; a stationary arcuate terminal, said conductor plate adapted to slidingly contact said terminal; connections between said arcuate terminal and said source of power; an electrically actuated periodic circuit interrupter operable in response to the setting of said manually settable directional circuit switch for interrupting the current iiow from the source of power to the directional signals to flash the same intermittently;

two pairs of stationary terminals radially ar- Q ranged from the center of said pivoted arm, one on the right side and the other pair at the left of said pivot; said terminals adapted to be bridged by said conductor plate in one position of said pivoted arm; connections from said right hand terminals to said flashing directional signals on the left side of said vehicle; connections from said left hand terminals to said flashing directional signals on the right side of said vehicle; said pivoted arm of said switch adapted to connect one or the other of said pair of stationary terminals with said arcuate terminal; two spaced stop warning signals located at the rear of said vehicle adapted to give a steady indication; a brake pedal switch for said stop signal circuits connected with said source of power and additional switching means actuated by said' manually settable switch and adapted to selectively control the energization of said stop signals when said brake pedal switch is closed; said means comprising a centrally located terminal block connected with said brake pedal switch; spaced terminal blocks located to right and left of said central terminal block, said right hand terminal block being connected to said lft hand stop signal and said left hand terminal block being connected to said right hand stop signal; an arcuate conductor plate adapted for movement by said manually settable switch but insulated therefrom; said arcuate plate being long enough to bridge the gap between said central terminal block and one of said right or left hand terminal blocks only, thereby to selectively energize either the said left or right stop signal only: the directional signal actuated by said directional switch being on the opposite side from the stop signal energized by said additional switching means.

4. In a vehicle, two spaced flashing directional signals located at the front and two at the rear of said vehicle; a source of electrical power; a manually settable automatically releasable directional circuit switch comprising a pivoted arm, manual means to rotate said arm about said pivot; a conductor plate carried by said pivoted arm; a stationary arcuate terminal, said conductor plate adapted to slidingly contact said terminal; connections between said arcuate terminal and said source of power; an electromagnetic periodic circuit interrupter operable in response to the setting of said manually settable directional circuit switch forming part of said connection and being interposed between said arcuate terminal and the source of power for interrupting the current flow to the direction signal to flash the same intermittently giving a ashing indication; two pairs of stationary terminals radially arranged from the center of said pivoted arm, one on the right side and the other pair at the left of said pivot; said terminals adapted to be bridged by said conductor plate in one position of said pivoted arm; connections from said right hand terminals to said flashing directional signals on the left side of said vehicle; connections from said left hand terminals to said ilashing directional signals on the right side of said vehicle; said pivoted arm of said switch adapted to connect one or the other of said pair of stationary terminals with said arcuate terminal; two spaced stop warning signals located at the rear of said vehicle; a brake pedal switch for said stop signal circuits connected with said source of power and additional switching means actuated by said manually settable switch and adapted to selectively control the energization of said stop signals when said brake pedal switch is closed; said means comprising a centrally located terminal block connected with said brake pedal switch; spaced terminal blocks located to right and left of said central terminal block, said right hand terminal block being connected to said left hand stop signal and said left hand terminal block being connected to said right hand stop signal; an arcuate conductor plate adapted for movement by said manually settable switch but insulated therefrom; said arcuate plate being long enough to bridge the gap between said central terminal block and both said right hand and left hand terminal blocks.

BENJAMIN F. BAILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,122,508 Bell July 5, 1938 2,206,199 Murray 1 July 2, 1940 2,267,743 Murray, Jr Dec. 30, 1941 2,456,242 Bailey Dec. 14, 1948 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,572,094 October 23, 1951 BENJAMIN F. BAILEY It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

In the heading of the drawing, line 3, for.Original Filed July 11, 1947 read Original Filed September 25, 1.9,i 3;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of February, A. D. 1952.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommzsaz'mr of Patents. 

